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Apple to Allow Independent Repair Shops to Service Out-of-Warranty iPhones With Genuine Parts

jona2125 said:
Yes but that's a very generic way of putting it. Apple sought him out to ensure he got targeted for investigation. Almost all of the batteries/components were from actual Apple products. However it's written in Apple policy that any component not directly supplied by them or their authorized suppliers is counterfeit, even if you go to the Apple store, buy a Mac Mini or an iPhone and then take the RAM or Battery out and use it in another device. Those components are now counterfeit in the eyes of Apple.
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It has nothing to do with Apple’s rules, it’s the law. Goods imported with the Apple logo and other trademarks—and which are not genuine—are counterfeits. Customers get ripped off because they pay more for supposedly Apple parts, which in fact are third party, not Apple.

If those third party batteries hadn’t been marked with Apple’s trademarks, they wouldn’t have been seized.
 
realtuner said:
I can see a big problem already.

  • Company gets approved and gets access to Apple components and documents.
  • They get to tell customers (advertise) they are Apple Certified and use genuine parts from Apple and follow Apple repair procedures.
  • Their business goes up because customers see value in someone being officially certified.
  • They start installing third party components because they’re cheaper than Apple components, but they’ll happily use Apple tools to perform the repair.
  • Customers think they have official Apple parts inside without realizing they’ve been defrauded.
  • Since the device is out of warranty, if it fails they’ll likely ever know they were ripped off since it’s unlikely they go back to an Apple Store after going to an independent shop.
I can see rampant fraud with this. I wonder how Apple will deal with it (perhaps mystery shoppers getting devices “repaired” to spot check shops)?
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Such fearmongering. There are laws against fraud.

Should we ban all sales and repairs of cars except those done by Ford because of the rampant fraud in second hand cars?
 
keysofanxiety said:
You didn't have to wait long ;)

View attachment 855232

NB: yes this isn't real, because the title isn't nearly clickbait enough to qualify for one of his videos.
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How many clichés can I think of for this?
  • You made your bed, you lie in it.
  • Karma is a *****.
  • What comes around goes around.
  • You reap what you sow.
If it ends up that he doesn't get certified I won't feel sorry for him one bit. He could have made his repair videos and concentrated on the actual repair and how he fixed it without having to add all the snark and obligatory anti-Apple comments.

We have a lot of employees at work and like any company people come and go. One co-worker left for another company (on good terms) and a couple years later it didn't work out and he came back to work for us again. Another guy left last year and decided to do one of those "f you" rage quits instead. Imagine if he comes back in a year and tries to get a position with us? This is just basic common sense. Don't burn your bridges. You never know if the people you bash today might end up being someone you work with (or underneath) later in life.
 
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Abazigal said:
That ship has long sailed. Apple's current business model doesn't need you to keep buying iPhones (since people are clearly holding on to theirs longer), they just need you to keep using them.
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People are clearly holding on to all smartphones longer because the ship that sailed was the hardware catching up to the demands placed on it. When was the last time you heard a roboboy arguing about how his phone was faster than an iPhone (well besides the fact that hasn't happened in years)? No on cares anymore because they are all plenty fast, and the screens are plenty sharp, now the "wars" are about nuanced features, not hardly enough to get you to go out and get a new phone (that plus they are so expensive - have you seen the prices on the new Samsungs?)
 
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jlc1978 said:
Hard to say. I would venture a guess they will require regular training to stay certified.

Perhaps, but shops can also hire techs away from Apple and avoid much of the costs. The challenge for the shop is to offer benefits similar to Apple. No matter how they get certified techs they'll wind up charging more for certified part repairs due to part costs and costs of labor to use them.

Yes, but my guess is only a larger repair shop will be able to afford it. I would also guess Apple will keep a tight eye on parts orders to avoid them leaving out of the back door into the grey market repair business.
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The certification is free.
 
realtuner said:
  • They get to tell customers (advertise) they are Apple Certified and use genuine parts from Apple and follow Apple repair procedures.
  • Their business goes up because customers see value in someone being officially certified.
  • They start installing third party components because they’re cheaper than Apple components, but they’ll happily use Apple tools to perform the repair.
Click to expand...
Well, that’d be fraud, now, wouldn’t it? Both a customer and Apple could sue over that for way more money than the cost of the repair, especially if non-Apple parts are dangerous, couldn’t they?
 
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MacRumors said:
To qualify, repair shops must be an established business with verification documents available for review by Apple, must be in a commercially zoned area, and must have an Apple-certified technician on staff to perform the out-of-warranty iPhone repairs when using genuine parts.
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So what is the point?
 
Khedron said:
Such fearmongering. There are laws against fraud.

Should we ban all sales and repairs of cars except those done by Ford because of the rampant fraud in second hand cars?
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First off, I'm not scared. Oops, I see you edited your post.

Not fearmongering. Just a simple statement of fact. Currently there are lots of repair shops using counterfeit Apple components to do repairs. Not all shops, but a lot. Now they'll be able to say they're "certified" but still continue using counterfeit parts. And by saying they're certified it's logical to assume that their business will go up meaning fraud will increase.
 
Defthand said:
What did Apple have to lose? Apple doesn't have the staff to actually repair the number of devices that require service. Their stores are crowded as it is with customers needing service on new devices.
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what what? Every time I need service, I make an appointment and get one same day (and those were not new devices, one was a 5 yo MBP to test the battery - it was still good, and another was to replace a battery on a iPhone 5s (which btw, a no-name repair shop offered to doff $7 less than Apple).

so no idea what you are saying.

hasn't the broader issue always been, bad repair shop replacing with bad parts and/or incorrectly, then the customer asking Apple to fix it, and under warranty no less? Or as has occurred many times, may places, unscrupulous actors removing parts from electronics, replacing them with crap and then taking the altered devices in for repair?
 
PickUrPoison said:
It has nothing to do with Apple’s rules, it’s the law. Goods imported with the Apple logo and other trademarks—and which are not genuine—are counterfeits. Customers get ripped off because they pay more for supposedly Apple parts, which in fact are third party, not Apple.

If those third party batteries hadn’t been marked with Apple’s trademarks, they wouldn’t have been seized.
Click to expand...

Correct which is why the first-party batteries and components he does import get stripped of the logo. My company (we are an Apple contractor that cannot source certain parts directly from Apple) even does this and they are in fact genuine Apple components however they are deemed counterfeit by word of policy (applies to non-imported locally sourced components) and law hence my statement that it doesn't
 
realtuner said:
Not fearmongering. Just a simple statement of fact. Currently there are lots of repair shops using counterfeit Apple components to do repairs. Not all shops, but a lot. Now they'll be able to say they're "certified" but still continue using counterfeit parts. And by saying they're certified it's logical to assume that their business will go up meaning fraud will increase.
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So basically, you’re fearmongering.
 
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PickUrPoison said:
It has nothing to do with Apple’s rules, it’s the law. Goods imported with the Apple logo and other trademarks—and which are not genuine—are counterfeits. Customers get ripped off because they pay more for supposedly Apple parts, which in fact are third party, not Apple.

If those third party batteries hadn’t been marked with Apple’s trademarks, they wouldn’t have been seized.
Click to expand...
You're kidding me right?

If apple manufactures a part and somebody takes that part out of the device and sells it, IT IS A GENUINE APPLE PART.

"coun·ter·feit:
adjective: counterfeit
made in exact imitation of something valuable or important with the intention to deceive or defraud.

noun
noun: counterfeit; plural noun: counterfeits
a fraudulent imitation of something else; a forgery."

You should reread the post you replied to. He was talking about original Apple parts resold by another seller. That is not counterfeit in any court of law. Your argument is akin to "Any iPhone that you buy from somebody other than Apple is counterfeit."

Now if a part is manufactured by a different company that is not an OEM for Apple AND they put Apple's logo on it, then that item is most certainly counterfeit. It would be akin to buying a Kia manufacturing a car but slapping a Toyota logo on it.
 
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Miat said:
Genuine Apple parts, presumably at genuine Apple prices.

Still, a significant step in the right direction.
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hmmm! I took my iPhone 5s in for a new battery. An independent repair shop quoted me $7 less than the Apple repair. I chose the Apple repair - you know, certified repair technicians, doing it correctly and gouging me an entire $7, oh my. I see you point. Not
 
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Khedron said:
Source?

"When you register for the certification exams, you can pay with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205332
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“To qualify for the new program, businesses need to have an Apple-certified technician who can perform the repairs. The process for certification is simple and free of charge —but is not an immediate process, and requires passing an exam and completion to the course material to Apple's satisfaction.”

https://iphone.appleinsider.com/art...ts-and-tools-to-more-third-party-repair-shops
 
PickUrPoison said:
“To qualify for the new program, businesses need to have an Apple-certified technician who can perform the repairs. The process for certification is simple and free of charge —but is not an immediate process, and requires passing an exam and completion to the course material to Apple's satisfaction.”

https://iphone.appleinsider.com/art...ts-and-tools-to-more-third-party-repair-shops
Click to expand...

So it's free of charge so long as you consider your time to be worthless.
 
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jonblatho said:
Apple says it’s free to get the certification. I suspect there’s a difference between that and being able to maintain the certification and/or actually perform repairs.
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Why - are you just making this up? Have some facts to share? or is your statement part of a conspiracy theory?

I on the other hand see no malice in this policy, apple has always seemed to want quality parts installed correctly by quality technicians.
 
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SpeedyTheSnail said:
<snip>
Now if a part is manufactured by a different company that is not an OEM for Apple AND they put Apple's logo on it, then that item is most certainly counterfeit. It would be akin to buying a Kia manufacturing a car but slapping a Toyota logo on it.
Click to expand...
That was exactly the case for the batteries that were seized.

They were, in fact, counterfeit. Third party Chinese batteries, for a 6 or 7 year old Mac, which had a counterfeit logo and markings.
 
jona2125 said:
Yes but that's a very generic way of putting it. Apple sought him out to ensure he got targeted for investigation. Almost all of the batteries/components were from actual Apple products. However it's written in Apple policy that any component not directly supplied by them or their authorized suppliers is counterfeit, even if you go to the Apple store, buy a Mac Mini or an iPhone and then take the RAM or Battery out and use it in another device. Those components are now counterfeit in the eyes of Apple.
Click to expand...

You don't find this odd? So the batteries came from Apple devices. Why? What was wrong with these devices that they had to be scrapped for their spare parts? Surely, according to Rossman, almost anything can be fixed. So why weren't these laptops fixed as opposed to being scrapped for parts? Further they came from China. I find it quite amazing that whoever had these devices in China didn't simply attempt to repair them. And if they couldn't repair them, then they scrap them and keep all the parts for themselves. Seems highly suspicious to me that they'd bother to ship spare parts halfway around the world (and have to deal with US Customs) instead of just finding a local buyer/repair shop to sell them too. Have you been to China/Asia? There are repair shops on almost every street corner. Even fairs/night markets are littered with repair shops. The whole thing seems very strange.
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Abazigal said:
That ship has long sailed. Apple's current business model doesn't need you to keep buying iPhones (since people are clearly holding on to theirs longer), they just need you to keep using them.
Click to expand...

Yeah, let's forget about the $29 battery repair program. Or the fact iOS 12 and 13 actually make older devices faster and increase their useful lifespan by another year.
 
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